2 Wants To Know How Will High Point's The Pit Keep Young Crowds Safe

HIGH POINT, N.C. -- Caught on camera - a gunshot rings out in downtown Greensboro this June - that sent a crowd of about 500 teens and young adults into a panic and led to 11 arrests. City leaders passed a teen curfew - saying it was hard to control large, younger crowds. But in Downtown High Point, city leaders are trying to attract a younger crowd through a new project called The Pit. So 2 Wants to Know asked what will be done to keep crowds at The Pit safe.

Richard Wood is the chairman of City Project - the council charged with bringing to live the future concert venue, open air market and even outdoor movie theater.

"It's going to be kinda an edgy, funky, cool kinda place we hope that will attract the younger clientele," he said.

The group is still in the fundraising stage, but they aren't only focused on money. "Problems can arise when you get a lot of young people together in that kind of environment, so we'll have to plan for that," Wood said.

City Project doesn't think The Pit will have crowds quite as big as what Greensboro has seen. And they plan to control the crowd by creating entrance check points.

"It will be restricted access. It would not be just like Elm Street in Greensboro where you can come at it from so many different directions," Wood said.

Younger people 2 Wants To Know talked with feel the gathering place might actually make the city safer - by giving them something to do.

"I really think it will be a positive thing. I think they should just give us a try and let us see how it goes," 17-year-old Jai'Darius Titus said.

Wood also says they'll adapt to whatever security needs arise.

Again they are still in the fundraising stage - needing about $1 million. The group hopes to partner with private businesses - and they think that should also prevent security problems. They think private businesses will want to keep control over their investment - making it safer.

Interested in learning more about The Pitt? There's a petition on Change.org asking the City of High Point to support the project. It also outlines more details about how "The Pitt" would work.